Motion-picture machine.



STECHBART. MOTION PICTURE MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 5 ISHS.

Izlientwl IM'. l0, 1918.

UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEioE.

BRUNO STECHBART, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS,TO

AMERICAN PROJECTING COMPANY, OF CHICAGO,

DELAWARE.

ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF U MOTION-PICTURE MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 10, 1918.

Original applicationA filed May 7, 1917, Serial No. 166,867. Divided andthis application led February 5,

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, BRUNO STECHBART, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook, State ofIllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mo-l.

tion-Picture Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the type of portable motion picturemachinesdescribed in detail in my prior application for Letters Patent,Serial N o. 166,867, filed May 7, 1917, whereof the present applicationis a division. And this improvement has for its objects To provide astructural formation and association of the light aperture or duct, filmguiding means and intermittent film feeding mechanism, adapted to attaina feeding of the film in either direction past the aforesaid lightaperture in a practical and effective manner.

To provide in connection with an intermittent film feeding mechanism andlight aperture or duct of a motion picture machine, a simple andefficient hinged gate and accessories adapted to maintain the picturefilm in proper position during its passage past said gate and inaddition prevent any buckling tendency in said film in its passage fromthe intermittent film feeding sprocket drum to and past the lightaperture of the machine in the operation of the machine in a reversemanner to attain a reversed display of the series of the pictures of thefiln In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1,- is a side elevation of the film feeding and guiding means ofa motion picture machine and of portions lof the associated drivingmechanism of the film reels, parts being shown in section, andillustrating the general arrangement of the present improvement inconnectionvvvith said parts.

Fig. 2, is a longitudinal section on line 2 2, Fig. 3, of the associatedlight duct, film guide, film feeding sprocket drums and accessories.

Fig. 3, is a detail horizontal section on line 3-3, Fig. 1, of the filmgate latching mechanism.

Fig. 4, is a detail elevation of the rear portion of the film gate andaccessories.

Like reference numerals indicate like parts in the several views.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a Serial No. 215,450.

portion of the inclosing casing for the mechanisms and parts of a motionpicture machine.

-2 designates the supporting frame or casing for the film feeding andguiding mechanism 0f the machine, secured to the front wall of thecasing A1, and having at its forward end a transversely expanded portion3 adapted to contain the light shutter of the machine. y

4 designates the main operating shaft of the machine, journaled in theaforesaid casing 2 and adapted for engagement with a hand crank formanual actuation.

5 designates a shaft journaled transversely in the casing 2 and havingintermittent operation connection with the main shaft 4 by the usualtrain of gears and an intermittent gearing connection, such as theordinary Geneva movement, as shown and described in my prior applicationfor Letters Patent, Serial No. 166,865, filed May 1, 1917.

6 designates the intermittent film feeding sprocket drum of the machine,operatively mounted on the shaft 5 aforesaid.

7 designates a clutch carrying shaft journaled in the casing 2 andhaving operative connection by the usual train of gears with the mainshaft 4, and capable of engagement With and disengagement from saidtrain of gears by an automatic clutch connection described in detail inmy aforesaid application Serial No; 166,865. The shaft 7 carries at itsrespective end sprocket drums, one of Which is adapted to feed the filmin the form of a loop to the film feeding mechanism. The other sprocketdrum is adapted to take up the film as it comes from said mechanism andfeed said film in a continuous manner to the take up reel of themachine.

8 designates the take up sprocket drum above referred to.

9 designates a. light duct or aperture formed in the aforesaid casing 2with its forward end adapted to'receive the objective of the machine,While its inner end terminates in a vertical rear Wall to which issecured the usual vertical aperture plate 10 upon which the picture filmhas sliding movement in its passage through the optical axis of themachine.

11 designates the film confining gate, of the usual orificed plateform',` associated with theaforesaid aperture plate 10. In the presentimprovement the gate l1 is pivotally i attached to the'casing 2 bydepending side Y extensions 12 at its lower end, and has a swingingmovement 1n a vertleal plane t0 ing aperture plate, 10, to admit of theready insertion and removal of the picture film.

13 designates a guide roller journaled transversely of the film gate 11and at the upper end thereof, and having close association with acompanion guide roller l-l on the upper part of the casing 2, to providean upper guiding means for the picture film. In the present structuresaid guide rollers 13, 14 constitute a part of the meansf'or forming andmaintaining the usual imtlal loop in the picture film, and from whichthe supply of film to the intermittent film feeding mechanismpissupplied with but httle frictional impedance.

15 designates upper and lower bearing pads of textile or like elasticmateria-l, arranged transversely and adjacent to the respective upperand lower margins of the light aperture of the film guide plate 10, andsecured to the film gate l1 by screws or like fastening means.

16 designates vertical spring members secured at their mid-height to thefilm gate '11, at opposite sides of the light aperture of the gate andof the bearing pads 15. Said spring members have a flat loop form asshown, adapting them to exert an extended yielding stress upon thepassing picture film and hold the same against the aperture plate 1()-without undue frictional retardance.

17 designates a plurality of bearing rollers journaled in thedependingextensions 12 of the film gate, and adapted to hold the picturefilm in proper operative engagement with the intermittent lm feedingsprocket drum 6 aforesaid.

18 designates a curved breast plate, preferably formed as an extensionof the aperture plate 1() aforesaid, with its curved por tion arrangedbetween the sprocket carrying end disks of the sprocket drum 6 and inline with the perimeters of said end disks. The breast 4plate 18`isadapted to support the central portion of the passing film, and isformed with a reversely curved lower end 18 adapted to deflect the filmaway from the sprocket drum 6 and 'aid in the formation of the usualloop in the'film intermediate of the sprocket drum 6 and the take upsprocket drum 8 aforesaid.

19 designates a pair of latch members having a transverse slidingmovement on the upper part of the film gate 11 and provided with hookshaped flanges 20 on theiry outer ends for holding engagement with lugson the casing 2 aforesaid. The inner ends of said latch members 19 lappast each other and are provided ,with out-turned prongs or fingerpieces 21 for` convenientJ manual operation, and so that whenv saidfinger pieces are y andfrom `the aforesaid. Vertical film guidaforesaid-Will move outwardly and be released from their holding engagement withthe lugs of the casing 2, this leaving the film gate 11 free for anopening movement to release the picture film.

22 designates a spring interposed between the finger pieces 21aforesaid, and adapted to force the same apart, and in turn draw thelatch members 19 together. a

In the present structure, the intermittent film feeding sprocket drum 6,is arranged immediately beneath the light duct or passage 9 of thecasing 2, with the rear part of its toothed periphery in line with theguide face of the aperture plate 10 aforesaid, and in connection withsuch arrangement the present improvement involves accessories as follows23 designates a curved plate or apron fixedly secured to the lowerportion 12 of the film gate and preferably formed with a lower reverselycurved end 24 as shown. The plate 23 is arranged between the bearingdisks of the rollers 17 aforesaid, and is adapted in connection with thebreast plate 18 heretofore described to provide a guide throat for thepassing film.

With the above described structural formation and association of parts,the picture film can be fed backward by the intermittent film feedingmechanism, in giving such form of a motion picture exhibition, in thatthe pushing backward of the film can be practically effected due totheabsence of any extended -and unsupported portions of Vthat part of thefilm within and adjacent to the zone of exhibition.

Having thus fully described my said invention, what I claim as new anddesire to secure by LettersPatent, is

1. In a film feeding mechanism for a mo-y tion picture machine, a mainframe having a horizontal light housing and passage, an aperture guideplate'for the film secured to said frame and having a lower reverselycurved portion, an intermittent film feeding sprocket drum arrangedbetween the light housing and the lower portion of the guide plateaforesaid, a film confining gate pivoted at its lower end to the mainframe, resilient bearing members secured to the side portions of thegate and having a flat loop form, -a guide roller journaled on the upperend of the gate, a companion guide roller journaled on the main frame,and guide rollers journaled on the lower portion of the gate inassociated relation to the intermittent film feeding sprocket drum,substantially as set forth.

2. In a film 'feeding mechanism for a motion picture machine, a mainframe having a horizontal light housing and passage, an apertured guideplate for the film secured to said frame and having a lower reverselycurved portion, an intermittent film feeding sprocket drum arrangedbetween the light housing and the lower portion of the guide plateaforesaid, a lfilm confining gate pivoted at its lower end to the mainframe, resilient bearing members secured to the side portions of thegate and having a fiat loop form, a guide roller journaled on the upperend of the gate, a companion guide roller j ournaled on the main frame,a curved apron and a plurality of guide rollers carried on the lower endof the gate in associated relation to the intermittent film feedingsprocket drum. substantially as set forth.

.In a film feeding mechanism for a motion picture machine, a main framehaving ahorizontal light housing and passage, an aperture guide platefor the film secured to Said frame and having a lower reversely curvedportion, an intermittent film feeding sprocket drum arranged between thelight housing and the lower portion of the guide plate aforesaid, a filmconfining gate pivoted at its lower end to the main frame, resilientbearing members secured to the side portion of the gate and having aflat loop form, upper and lower bearing pads secured to the gateintermediate of the resilient members aforesaid, a guide rollerjournaled on the upper end of the gate', a companion guide rollerjournaled on the main frame, and guide rollers journaled on the lowerportion of the gate in associated relation to the intermittent filmfeeding sprocket drum, substantially asset forth.

4. In a film feeding mechanism for a motion picture machine, a mainframe having a horizontal light housing and passage, an apertured guideplate for the film secured to said frame and having a lower reverselycurved portion, an intermittent film feeding sprocket drum arrangedbetween the light housing and the lower portion of the guide plateaforesaid, a film confining gate pivoted at its lower end to the mainframe, and a gate latching means comprising a pair of transverse springimpelled movable members having hook shaped fianges at their outer endsand overlapping extensions at their inner ends provided with operating-finger pieces, substantially as set forth.

Signed at Chicago, Illinois, this 1st day of February, 1918.

BRUNO STECHBART.

